Sykes is braced to take Bulls by the horns

Bradford's salary cap worries will be put into perspective by Paul Sykes's presence in the Harlequins team that faces the Bulls at The Stoop today. Sykes, a goal-kicking centre who joined the London club from Bradford four years ago, spent almost a week in hospital after suffering a frightening kidney injury in Quins' win at Hull in March. However, after initial fears that he would not play again, the Yorkshireman, who turned 25 yesterday, is set to return against his former club.

"It's been a long old journey," he said. "I didn't really think I would get back on the pitch this season but I kept on hoping it might happen. I've been training with the team for a few weeks and I feel good."

Brian McDermott, who was a team-mate of Sykes at Bradford and took over as Harlequins coach a month ago, is more forthcoming on the dangers he faced. "He had one of those injuries you wouldn't wish on anybody," he said. "As a player you probably realise you're going to get the odd snapped bone and tweaked ligament, but serious back injuries and anything to do with your organs, they're the ones you fear. Never mind your rugby league career, it starts impacting on your long-term quality of life.

"Fortunately Sykesy wasn't quite as bad as he might have been. He's one of those lads who'd play with one leg to be honest, so we've had to be careful with him. But it's got to the stage now where his kidneys aren't going to get any better, so with him chomping at me to play I couldn't say no."

Sykes's return is a timely boost for a Harlequins team needing two wins from their last five matches to remove the possibility of relegation, after being sucked back into trouble by a 34-0 thumping at Salford last Friday. McDermott, who remains a cult figure with Bradford's supporters after six outstanding seasons in the Bulls front row, described that as the worst performance since he took over.

McDermott is wary of a Bulls team who were back to their formidable best in thrashing Warrington 50-22 at Odsal - the first hint that the champions could repeat their end-of-season charge to victory in the Old Trafford grand final last October.

"That's the fear in every other team, especially those with any designs on winning the league themselves," he added. "Here we go, this is the Bulls again, rising up. I don't know if it was planned this year or last, but one of the things Bradford have learned over the years of success is bringing something up from their bowels for big games. It's an easy thing to say but there's an art to it, and they've got it."

Bradford's hopes of finishing higher than their current fourth place could be jeopardised by a disciplinary hearing next week into the club's alleged breach of the salary cap last season, with the danger of being docked two or even six points.

However, Steve McNamara, a former Bulls team-mate of Sykes and McDermott, has adopted the same phlegmatic approach to that possible punishment as his Odsal predecessor Brian Noble did when Wigan were deducted two points this week. "It's not been mentioned and I'm not surprised," he insisted. "Until all the facts are there, we don't need to know."

McNamara announced yesterday that Marcus St Hilaire has signed an improved contract to stay at Odsal next season after playing the leading role in persuading Noble to sign his former Huddersfield team-mate at the start of this year. St Hilaire, a Wembley winner with Leeds in 1999, had been released by the Giants too late to find another club, but has become a valuable squad player for the Bulls, who recently appointed his older brother Lee as McNamara's assistant coach. Ewan Dowes will play with a badly bruised cheekbone and painkilling injections in a broken toe as Hull attempt to consolidate their hard-earned top-two position at cup finalists Huddersfield tomorrow.